In a statement, Cougars coach Bronco Mendenhall said, "We have named Taysom the starter because of his game experience in 2012, strong leadership qualities and his breakaway speed and athleticism."

Hill beat out fellow sophomore Ammon Olsen, who is listed as his backup.

The 6-foot-2, 218-pounder -- who was originally committed to Stanford as a recruit -- showed flashes of brilliance as a true freshman in 2012, making plays with his feet and with his arm. He passed for 425 yards and rushed for 336, totaling eight touchdowns while playing in parts of six games before suffering a lateral collateral ligament injury against Utah State that knocked him out the rest of the season.

It was that Utah State game that hinted at the range of Hill's ability. He threw for 235 yards and rushed for 80 in BYU's 6-3 win.

If Hill can come back 100 percent from his injury, he has the ability to do for BYU what Johnny Manziel did for Texas A&M.